Retort-furnace.



T. M. THOM & H. PRYOR. RETORT FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20, 1909.

Patented June 13,1911.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

T. M. THOM & H. PRYOR. RETORT FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED $1 11 1. 20, 1909.

995,268. Patented June 13, 1911.

8 SHEBTS-BHEET 2.

T- M. THOM & H. PRYOR.

RETORT FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20, 1909.

Patented June 13, 1911.

8 SHHETS-SHEET 3.

T. M. THOM & H. PRYOR.

BETORT FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED smmzo, 1909.

995,268. Patented June 13, 1911.

TI it. THOM & 3 Pain! BETOBT FURNACE. APPLICATION FILED snnugo, i909.

lfatented June 13, 1911;

a annn'r'kannm a.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEE1cE.

THOMAS MATHIF-SDN THOM, 0F CHESHUNT AND HENRY PRYdB, OF HEMPSTEAD SAFFRO'N WALDEN, ENGLAND.

BETORT-FURNACE.

Patented June 13, 1911.

application filed September 20. 1909. Serial No. 518,697.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS MATmEsoN THOM and HENRY Pnron, subjects of the King of Great Britain, and residents of Woodlands,' Cheshunt, in the county of Hertford, England, and Hempstead Saffrom Walden, in the county of EsseigEngland, respectively, have invented new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Retort-Furnaces for the Manufacture of Gas and other Purposes, of which the following is a specificatioru The present invention has reference to apparatus for the manufacture of gas, for instance carbonic acid gas (CO by decomposing limestone, or illuminating gas by the 'carbonization of coal, and for other purposes.-

Accordin to this invention the apparatus comprises c osed retorts arranged vertically within an inclosed space around a combustion chamber provided with lateral openings leading to the space wherein the retorts are situated, and furnished with air supplies for supporting combustion in? the manner hereinafter explained.

In the accompanying drawings we have shown apparatus embodying our present improvements.

F i ure 1 is a vertical section of apparatus suit& 10 for making CO from limestone.

Fig. 2-is a vertical section taken at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view.

Fig. 4 is across section on the line A- -A of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 1s a cross section on line B'B of Fig. 1. Fig. '6 is a cross-section on line C-0 of Fig. 1. Fig.7 is an elevationpartly .insection and partly in outline showlng the modification of the apparatus necessary when making illuminating gas and Fig. 8 isa plan view of the same.

The apparatus comprises a numbcriof closed retorts a set in brickwork vertically, or" approximately so, around a central com; bustion chamber I) and within an outer casing 0 of steel or other suitable metal. In the drawings five retorts are shown, but there may be an other suitable number if desired. Beneat the combustion chamber 6 is a producer d and near'the top of the apparatus is a ring main 0 having branches f communicating with all the retorts and being provided each its own cutoff valve 9. The limestone, coal or other gas yielding substance is fed into the retorts a at the top and the lime or coke is discharged at the bottom. Both the bottom and top are provided with gas tight mouthpiece covers of any suitable construction. The producer 6! is charged by the mouthpiece h.

i is a clinkering door, is are inlets ar-' ranged one on each side of the clinkering door to admit primary air which is raised to a high temperature in chamber g before entering the producer proper.

Z is a steam inlet of the kind frequently employed in furnaces provided with a forced draft.

mi' the shaft or uptake for the waste gases from the furnace after their work is one.

At the top of the producer there is an aperture 11, leading into the combustion cham her 6 and there are also apertures 0 leading out of the producer direct onto the lower ends of theretorts a which ends are shown curved in the drawings. Secondary air is admitted by dampers arranged one on each side of the clinkering door and is led hackward and forward and upward through fines 1, 2, 3 and issues into the combustion 'e'hamber 1) via various radial flues 'p these latter being tapped ofi flue 3. As shown in Fig. 6, there are also openings 3 in the flue 3, from which likewise is drawn air for the apertures 0. The combustion chamber 1) has around it webs of brickwork '1' which with the blockings 8 support the retortsa. t are holes in the webs r to allow the gases from thefurnace to circulate. .Combustion'and consequent sudden expansionldue tothe secondary air meeting the-furnace gases occurs at the 'base of the combustion chamber and this expansion causes the gases generated to escape through louvered holes u formed in the wall of the oinbustion chamber and circulating around the retorts through the blockings s mentioned eventually reach the top of the combustion chamber which they again enter and from thence are conducted down the four waste gas flues '0.

As shownin Fig. 6 two of the waste gas flues '0 enter a common chamber on each side of the roducer and from thence enter a series 0 chambers 4,5 6 as shown in Fig. 1 ma similar manner but in opposite direction to the secondar air before mentioned. A damper w-regulalk the passing of the waste as from chainber 5 to chamber (5 from w ich' last it escapes up, the shaft.

.the forced draft.

Two outlets 2 2 see Fig. 6 admit producer gas into superheater chambers 7, 7 past ampers S, 8. The chambers 7 contain U- shaped heaters as shown in Fig. 5-Which are supplied with steam from the main feeding The superheated steam from the left hand heater Fig. 5 supplies steam to three retorts and the ri ht hand heater to the remaining two. rom the chambers 7 the producer gas may be brought to the bottom of the. retort space where it will be consumed.

The steam jets enter at the lower mouthpieces ofthe retorts as shown at w and are controlled by cocks.

superheated steam admitted to theretorts forces its way through the limestone, partially disintegrates it and effects the liberation of the CO more quickly and at a lower temperature than by other known means. The steam continuing to rise carries with it the CO and obviates the tendency of the latter which is a sluggish gas, to become reabsorbed after liberation from the limestone thereby forming sub-carbonate of lime. From the ring main e the CO passes by the outlet 1 to a compressor, not shown, which draws off. the gas and compresses it to the required pressure.

When illuminating gas is being made no steam is introduced into the retorts and consequent] y the apparatus is without the I steam pipes (see Fig. 7 and the lower ends of theretorts are connected by pipes 12 to the branch pipes f.

The ring main 0 for. the illuminating ges plant is preferably formed as shown in the plan view Fig. 8. 10 and 11 are platforms near the top of the apparatus to give convenient access to the ring main and tothe ,ret-ort upper mouthpieces. From the ring main e, Fig. 8, the gas asses by the outlet to a gas holder throng the usual cleaning apparatus. The cylindrical outer casingc purposes of combustion is entirely which is preferably lagged effectually prevents the admission of air to the retorts from the outside. The air admitted to the furnace and combustion chamber for the consumed and therefore no air'can find its way into the retorts through the interior. of the apparatus.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our and invention,

and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim 13 1. In gas manufacturing apparatus, the combination of a producer, a central combustion chamber separate from and commu-' nicating with the producer, an inclosed retort space surrounding the combustion-- chamber, separatefrom and commun cating .with the producer, a set of a proximately vertical retorts arranged within the retort .smce and means for supplying secondary;

air both to the combustion chamber anditb" the retort space exterior to-the producer;

substantially as described.

2. In gas manufacturing apparatus,

combination of a producer, a central '0 m nicating with the producer, an inclose-d res tort space surrounding the combustiong chamber, separate from and communicati gwith the combustion chamber, a set of aproximately vertical retorts arranged within the retort space and means for supplying. secondary air to the combustion chamber exterior to the producer, substantially as'described. Y

In tstimonywhereofwe have signedour names to this specification in the presenceio'f two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS MATHIESON HENRY PRYOR. Witnesses:

- .ALrnnn S. Br'srror,

FREDK. L. BA D.

bustion chamber separate from and commit- 

